In the field of ink ribbons for printers, a ribbon supply spool and a ribbon take-up spool generally have been provided on opposite sides of a typing or printing station, together with means for reversing the direction of travel of the ribbon for repeated use thereof in an arrangement for the purpose of obtaining longer ribbon life. Also, the ink ribbon has been made to travel along a line of printing wherein the spools are positioned beyond the ends of the printing line and the ribbon is caused to travel at an angle relative to the print line to utilize a greater portion of the ribbon width. However, in the case of certain high speed printers, a ribbon substantially as wide as the line of printing may be used and caused to travel in a direction normal to the print line and along with the record media. Additionally, it has been common to provide ink carrying or container means operably associated with the ribbon for maintaining or replenishing a supply of ink therein for proper and extended life printing operation.
In present day printers, it is also common practice to provide and use a ribbon cassette carrying an endless ribbon which is caused to be driven past the printing station, and wherein the printing ribbon is either a pre-inked and disposable ribbon or a ribbon which is to be continuously or frequently re-inked during the printing operation. The ribbon cassette itself may be of the stuffing-box type wherein the ribbon is contained within the cassette in random manner and such ribbon is unfolded at the cassette exit and caused to be driven past the printing station and then guided back into the cassette to be folded again in random manner therein.
Additionally, a ribbon may be utilized in a mobius loop configuration within the cassette and the ribbon may be in substantially continuous contact with an inking core or like manner, or the ribbon may have a plurality of coils thereof around a central core for controlled inking or re-inking of the ribbon.
Representative documentation relating to ribbon cassettes or cartridges and to inking or re-inking the ribbon therein includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,731, issued to R. H. Mack et al. on Aug. 27, 1974, which discloses a ribbon cartridge having tensioning means, a print wheel and a friction feed roller along with porous re-inking means and wherein the ribbon tensioning means comprises a plurality of ridge-like deformations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,056, issued to J. H. Lehmann on June 3, 1975, discloses a ribbon cartridge having adjustable tensioning means and a plurality of pre-inked porous foam rollers with one of such rollers being urged by spring means into frictional contact against the other rollers for re-inking the ribbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,247, issued to R. E. LaSpesa et al. on Sept. 6, 1977, shows a ribbon cartridge which has an ink roll pivotally mounted and spring urged into frictional contact against a transfer coil for re-inking the ribbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,133, issued to H. Scherrer et al. on Jan. 31, 1978, discloses a ribbon cassette with an ink cylinder having a wick disposed in contact with a transfer roll for re-inking the ribbon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,914, issued to A. D. Stipanuk on May 30, 1978, discloses a ribbon cassette having a source of marking fluid adjacent the ribbon and a wear-actuated device to cause delayed contact of marking fluid with the ribbon.
And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,877, issued to J. E. Randolph on Nov. 27, 1979, shows a ribbon cartridge having a sponge roller urged by spring means into contact with a transfer roller for re-inking the ribbon.